When a woman becomes pregnant, her abdomen expands to provide room for the amniotic fluid, the growing uterus, and the new human being.
Many new mothers lament that their pre-pregnancy bodies never fully recover, especially the dreaded "baby bulge" that refuses to go away.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy might increase insulin levels and contribute to abdominal fat storage. Diastasis recti, a separation of the right and left abdominal wall muscles that happens as the uterus extends to accommodate the developing baby, is a considerably more prevalent post-pregnancy condition.
If diastasis recti is your issue, "power Kegels" may help. Murphy recommends that patients sit at a desk and squeeze their pelvic muscles together as if trying to stop a stream of urine,
Breathing exercises and yoga are also beneficial. (Try this mild yoga program if you want to trim down.) When you take deep breaths, your diaphragm is actively involved.
your abdominal muscles will strengthen and realign," claims Murphy. If everything else fails, an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) may be the only option for mending the chasm.
Murphy says to get your insulin tested to make sure you haven't become insulin resistant or prediabetic if you don't have diastasis recti (contact your doctor if you're not sure). In such case, you may benefit from taking metformin.
Traditional apple traditional apple belly pouchSIMON BOOTH/SHUTTERSTOCK There may be a genetic predisposition against you if many of the ladies in your family are overweight. "About 50 to 60% of belly fat and weight gain is based on genetics," claims Murphy.